12 years in prison for Kentucky doctor who 'helped fuel the opioid epidemic'

A doctor who illegally dispensed 300,000 oxycodone pills was sentenced Thursday to more than 12 years in prison.

Dr. Sundiata El-Amin, 69, of Fort Wayne, Indiana practiced medicine in Grant County before his December 2015 indictment, officials said.

El-Amin was convicted in March on 173 drug trafficking offenses.

"The evidence further established that he repeatedly issued improper prescriptions for high doses of oxycodone and regularly issued the prescriptions without examining patients," according to the Department of Justice.

"The Defendant’s unnecessary prescribing of oxycodone damaged our communities and helped fuel the opioid epidemic," said Robert M. Duncan Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

El-Amin must serve nearly 11 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.